1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of fiber optics. The invention more particularly concerns an optical fiber mounted in a stub where one end of the optical fiber is cleaved and the other end of the optical fiber is polished. Glass material is used to construct the optical fiber or waveguide.
2. Discussion of the Background
Cleaving an optical fiber by mechanical means is known in the art and cleaving with a laser or cutting beam is also known in the art and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,605, and 6,139,196. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,605, and 6,139,196 are hereby incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,605 discloses a single optical fiber mounted in a fixture where the laser cleaves a bare optical fiber. U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,196 discloses a single optical fiber, including a fiber jacket surrounding the optical fiber, mounted in a fixture where the laser cleaves the fiber jacket and the optical fiber. In both cases, the cleaved optical fibers are then removed from their respective fixtures for further processing.
Additionally, forming a lens at an end of an optical fiber with a laser is known in the art and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,989; 5,011,254; and 5,256,851. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,989; 5,011,254; and 5,256,851 are hereby incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,989 discloses a single optical fiber mounted in a fixture, where the optical fiber has a tapered lens formed at an end of the optical fiber with a laser. U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,254 discloses a single optical fiber mounted in a fixture, where the optical fiber has a hyperbolic lens formed at an end of the optical fiber with a laser. U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,851 discloses a single optical fiber mounted in a fixture, where the optical fiber has an asymmetric hyperbolic lens formed at an end of the optical fiber with a laser. In all three cases, the cleaved and lensed optical fibers are then removed from their respective fixtures for further processing.
Typically, the cleaved and lensed optical fiber is mounted in a housing which contains either an optoelectronic transmitter or an optoelectronic receiver. In the case of the optoelectronic transmitter, the optoelectronic transmitter emits a light signal which shines on the lens of the optical fiber where the light signal is efficiently introduced into the optical fiber. In the case of the optoelectronic receiver, a light signal propagates along a length of the optical fiber and exits the optical fiber, thus focusing the light signal, in an efficient manner, on the optoelectronic receiver.
Both the cleaving step and the lensing step of the prior art require numerous time consuming set-up operations, low yields, and result in difficulty in handling and placing the optical fiber in an assembly.